An Unforeseen Occurrence
by UniversalIndicator
Summary: Man Of Steel verse: Clark finds a baby...could turn into a multi chapter thing in the future...


Not all was dust, as Zod had thought it was. In a pile of scattered pods, nestled on the bodies of her brothers and sisters, lay a squalling infant. She kicked her arms and legs and drew in a raspy breath to let out another piercing cry, clenching her fists in heated frustration when the cry didn't come from her opened mouth. A shadow fell over her and her eyes slackened as the bright light that had been glaring, was diminished. Strong arms grabbed the child as she struggled to breathe, gently prodding her limbs that snapped out in response, fingers curling about a questioning finger with a firmness that startled Clark.

This child wanted to live.

He would always be Clark Kent, having been bought up on this world, but as the people he had met in the past twenty-four hours, he was also of Krypton. That was a home he would never know and neither would the small life he held in his arms. A product of the old world…. that's what Jor-El would've called her.

Clark bought the girl closer to his chest and cupped his hands gently about her in an attempt to warm her. Involuntary shivers caressed her body and she let out a whine as she mouthed the fabric on his shoulder. Looking about the wreckage, he searched for another sign of life but found none.

He looked down at the bodies of innocence and marveled at how she had survived; intact. His stomach threatened nausea of epic proportions but he held it in. It would not do for his 'Superman' image if he hurled in the destroyed street…although he didn't think anybody would particularly blame him if he did. His only thoughts on the matter were that she must've been quite far along in the chamber before it had been frozen and only reawakened when Zod had fiddled with the controls and erased his father, as the madman had gloated earlier.

He lifted himself away from the carnage, careful not to jostle his precious burden, and landed several feet away till he could barely smell the death, or hear the emptiness in the air. Lois Lane was the first to gather her nerve to greet him, her eyes falling on the child in shock when the baby gave a weak cry.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Clark said nothing, but nodded. Lois was smart enough to figure out the implications the existence of this child would bring but, again, she surprised Clark by how she reacted.

She took off her battered coat and held it out to him and he wrapped the child within it carefully. Then, after a brief nod to the women before him and a final check to ensure that the baby was sufficiently covered, Clark leapt into the air.

He didn't fly as fast as he normally did, but he wasn't going painfully slow either. Although the child was protected and warmed by his body, he couldn't fly too high in the oxygen rich atmosphere until she adjusted, nor too fast since his arms couldn't control his flight patterns as easily.

Still, it was less than thirty minutes before he found himself touching down beside the ruined Kent family home. His heart gave a painful thud in his chest as he examined the building, and the small pile of belongings his mother had managed to salvage. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her perched on the front porch as if nothing was wrong and reading her book. She gave a smile and a wave as she saw him approach, which turned hesitant when she saw what he was gathering.

It's amazing, he thought, that the universal gesture of holding an infant was picked up instantly by his mother. She ran to him and took the baby out of his arms without delay and before he knew it, was cooing and checking her over.

"A girl Clark! …Were her parents...?" She said, eyes were already transfixed by the child, her hand massaging her chest in an attempt to help her breathe. "She's so small Clark, you were never this small when we found you. She should be in an incubator….

Clark looked at the helpless child and hooked his finger into her hand. "No…She is like me. I found her in the wreckage of Zods ship." He thought it prudent to not mention that the ship had been on earth originally and that there were more like her that hadn't survived the impact. "You know what would happen to her if she was put into that kind of system, especially after all that has happened."

His mother wasn't stupid and, like Lois, was able to grasp the complicated situation almost immediately. "Another like you… What are you going to do? You have your own life to live…. And she needs a lot of care that you might not be able to provide and I'm not as young as I once was or I would offer..." She trailed off at the look on her sons face. Standing there in his alien costume, he looked even more determined than usual.

"I failed as Kryptons Last Ma, I'm not going to fail again." With that he retook the child in his arms. The girl nestled immediately and fell into an uneasy sleep. He stood there for a moment as if unsure what to do next after such a bold declaration.

His mothers' eyes filled with equal parts pride and worry. She thought over what to say before speaking. "Well, if you're sure, I know some of your baby things are still in the garage… if they're still intact after that horrible woman trashed it. But what are you going to do about money…children are expensive Clark!" she wrung her hands slightly before pausing again. "I don't suppose Superheroes get paid?"

"I don't want to be paid Ma." He laughed, "its sort of part of the deal, but don't worry, I have a plan…."

And considering he was a force of nature that relied on brute force rather than actual finesse, it wasn't a bad idea. He got a job at the Daily Planet who gave him advanced pay so that he could set himself up within the city. Of course, Perry White wasn't an overly generous man and was only convinced when Clark had bought the child in for his interview that he wasn't getting screwed about. Captivated by her baby-blues, he'd tried half-heartedly to focus on lowering the establishing amount, but failed. Although Clark was charged with extra hours that he completed with ease, which made Perry feel a little better about this unusual situation. Besides, he had other things to worry about: like moving into his new office in the recently reconstructed city.

It was amazing that when the government actually had to do something for a change, that things actually got done in less than a week. However it was a world effort but no one had been thinking of the costs of anything, too busy marveling at the answer to 'are we alone in the universe'.

The job allowed him to; as he'd told his mother, keep his ear to the ground yet his work was also close to the apartment that he rented. It was modern and very new, painted a vision of white, which he tried to soften with gentle colors, to protect his own eyes as well as the babes.

There was still the issue of what to do with the child when he had to go do his jobs. Luckily his next-door neighbor, an elderly woman who yearned for grandchildren that her children weren't going to bless her with, had leaped at the chance to look after her.

It was on the first Sunday within his new home that he took her to get the adoption forms. She lay in her carrier, frowning a little at the artificial light and the stale, musty air. It was the quietest she'd ever lain when not held and Clark was quick to take advantage, filling in the form quickly and only pausing when he saw the blank space for her name.

So many possibilities for a name. Her second name was without question going to be his mothers but he wanted something beautiful for her first. He looked down at the child, whose eyes were half-closed in drowsiness and couldn't help but smile when her lips began to shift into a yawn, smacking slightly at air even though she'd been fed less than half an hour ago.

That was when he was struck by sudden inspiration: Lucy. Simple yet perfect at the same time. His pen moved smoothly over the paper in broad strokes and it was official. Lucy Martha Kent was ready to take her place on Earth.

He picked up the carrier when all was said and done and headed outside, flipping the little roof over her head so she wouldn't wake from the glare of the sun. She was already adjusting pretty well to Earths atmosphere, yet he still found himself counting her breaths each night and putting baby-vix on her chest in an attempt to prolong the event when she would have difficulty.

He walked past several stores until he finally located the one he was looking for. He had come to the realization that children, whether alien or human, went through many changes of clothes a day and since she was a girl, Clark figured that he should probably dress her as one.

However, he encountered some difficulty upon entering the store when he saw the variety of clothes and toys available. He stood there in stunned awe, suddenly grateful that she was a she and not a he, since the clothes were limited in that area.

Thankfully, luck struck him again when a sales assistant took pity on him and came to do her job. "Hello, welcome to Baby International, my name is Susan, how can I help you?"

Clark felt his eyelid twitch…. where did he start? "Hi Susan….ahh my sister recently died in the incident, I'm sure you know what I mean…" she did but let him speak. Thankfully his stuttering was taken for emotional stress and not because he was an idiot. "…So I ah have my niece to take care of and I have nothing for her at my house so…. I was wondering if you could set me up with some basics? I didn't really plan on having a newborn baby."

Susan smiled and beckoned him to follow her to the back of the store. "This area is for the newborns." she explained as she stood in front of a huge billboard with smiling babies on it. She gestured to him to place Lucy's carrier on the ground and sank to her knees in front of it. She unclipped her with practiced ease and stood again, holding her up carefully in front of her face. "Oh aren't you a little sweetie?" She cooed and Clark, upon seeing the adoring look in the assistant's eyes, made careful note to ensure that he left with the baby in _his_ arms. She looked at Clark and the steely professionalism leaked into her voice. "She is most certainly a prem which means her clothes size will be 000" she picked up a coat hanger with the numbers on it. "As she grows, which will be quicker than you'd expect, you'll obviously need to move a few sizes up, which I suggest you buy now rather than discovering that she has no clothes to wear in the future."

Clark was quick to agree and grabbed for several white leotard like things in a variety of sizes and placed them in the carrier. He also grabbed several pairs of leggings in a variety of colors, socks, booties and hats. When he made to go to the checkout, Susan tutted before saying. "Sir, you'll need tops to go over the singlets."

"I have tops" he said, confused.

She laughed and gestured for him to put the clothes on the counter and handed him Lucy, who was beginning to fuss. He tucked her head into the hollow of his throat and bounced her until she settled again. Susan watched him with approval in her eyes. She picked out some tops that were smaller than Clarks hand and held them up for his inspection. "These go over the singlet and might I suggest you get some jumpers and little jackets as well."

Clark was beginning to think that he was biting off more than he could chew as he saw the small, but steadily growing pile of clothes on the desk. That was before Susan turned her attention to blankets and toys. He ended up deciding on the biggest and softest one he could find, thinking that he could use it as several blankets if he folded it over, as well as several towels and washcloths.

He didn't buy much in the way of toys, aside from a soft bear and play-mat that had toys hanging off it that could hold her attention that he could remove to distract her in the future. He was baffled by teething rings and the feeding utensils and the highchairs and the sterilizers and the bottles. The pile on the counter was getting bigger and bigger. And that was before Susan pushed out the prams.

He chose one that would clip the carrier he had on it but would change into a normal one for when she got older. Lucy was now seated inside it, her eyes attempting to follow his voice as he moved about the store, being shown things by Susan that he also needed. He was beginning to wonder how Lucy had survived without it all by the time he finished.

Susan folded all of it up nicely into several bags, which he hung off the handles of the pram. The highchair he had purchased was one he could just attach to a chair and was made to fold up small. This he placed in the bottom tray of the pram. He shot his daughter exasperated looks when she began to blow bubbles out of her mouth. "Oh yes, you're just loving this aren't you Luce? All of this is just for you…did you know that?"

The baby just kicked off her new socks in reply which he had to fish out of the nearby clothing racks. He looked like a bag lady, he thought as he left the store and was shocked to discover that the sun was now going down. He had entered that shop just after two. He glanced at his watch and just about groaned. He'd been in that store for three whole hours. He hadn't dared glance at his receipt, content that he had managed to pay it all in one lump sum and had to keep reminding himself that he hadn't planned on Lucy being in his life and unlike other parents, hadn't had an opportunity or the time to buy it in bits and pieces. He tried to ignore the annoying thwack of the heavy bags against his thighs and the sudden wave of tiredness that threatened to engulf him.

Soon though, he made it to the house and upon entering the key smoothly into the lock, discovered a delightful aroma coming from inside. Knowing he hadn't left anything on he left Lucy at the door and strode in cautiously.

He was relieved to see it was only Lois and at the same time, slightly flustered. He cleared his throat, which caused her to drop the potato masher. She turned about and sheepishly made a grab for it. Clark just crossed his arms and leaned nonchalantly against the frame.

"How did you find me?" he asked as she wiped the floury potato off the floor. "And more importantly, how did you get in?"

She scoffed at him a little and he raised a brow. They hadn't talked to each other much since the 'incident' as the media had dubbed it. "Come on Kent! I tracked you to Smallville, I can certainly look up your address in the directory." She shuffled from toe to toe, "As for the getting in…well, being an investigative reporter has a select skill set. I made some Devilled sausages…"

Just as Clark smiled, Lucy whimpered and he remembered he'd left her at the door. He pushed the pram in and pulled the play-mat out of the bags. It sprung open with an enthusiastic bounce on the carpet, its happy little toys and mirrors dangling from the impact. He unclipped Lucy from the pram/carrier, fumbling a little with the frustrating buckles and clips, trying not to break it and lay her gently on the carpet. He smiled at her almost stunned expression when she caught a glimpse of herself in one of the mirrors.

Unbidden, Lois came to stand next to him to stare at the girl. She patted his shoulder. "I must say, I had my doubts when you flew off with her in tow, but you're not doing too badly Kent."

It was Clarks turn to laugh. "I just came from the baby store and bought half its contents, the shop assistant knew more than I do. Half the time I feel as if I'm treading on ice."

Suddenly, his ears picked up on a cry for help and he tensed. He didn't want to leave Lois with Lucy but he had not choice. He turned to Lois "Lois…. I… need to go, someone….Lucy"

Her eyes softened and she nodded at the question in his eyes. Gratitude replaced the questioning and he began stripping off his clothes to reveal his suit. His cape fell down to rest at his heels. He nodded briskly and was gone.

For a long while, Lois and Lucy simply stared at each other, well Lois stared and Lucy just focused on the reflected light from one of her dangling earrings. Feeling that the child was secure enough for now, she turned to finish mashing the potatoes. She contemplated the name…Lucy Kent. Sweet of him, she thought, and slightly ironic to name her 'light' of all possible choices. It suited though, she briefly glanced at the child and was horrified to discover the universal face clenching and frequent grunting that left no doubt in Lois' mind as to what she was doing.

She left the pot of sausages on simmer with the vent working over-time and ran to the baby whose face had smoothed out and she was again busy blowing bubbles. She picked her up gently and wandered about the house until she made it to the babys room. There was a mat on the floor that had nappies, powder and wipes surrounding it; obviously the changing area and Lois was also pleased to note a convenient trashcan by the door. She lay Lucy down and proceeded to change her nappy.

She was feeling very pleased with herself as she wiped her hands gently with a fresh wipe, until she attempted to put the girls leggings back on. Oh so the child would lie still as she changed her, even allowing Lois to push the domes of her singlet together, but wouldn't have her legs constrained?

Great.

She grabbed one as gently as she could but was surprised when she managed to jerk it out of her light hold. Then she remembered... Supermans daughter. She mentally slapped herself and then with a bit more force, held the girl down and shoved the leggings on.

They may have been back to front but she was clothed. Lucy's face though, began to scrunch up again and turn red, however this time tears leaked, like the bubbles she was so fond of blowing, out of her eyes with pathetic hiccups tumbling out of her mouth. Lois, top reporter of the daily planet, able to keep her nerve in the middle of an alien apocalypse, panicked.

She hurriedly scooped her up and held her to her chest, but it was no use. Lois had no other word to describe it. The baby _exploded_. Her fists clenched and she waved them with savage force and curled her legs up to her body, only to kick them out, causing Lois to nearly lose her hold on her more than once as she stumbled up the hallway. Then she threw back her head and _roared_, arching her back over Lois' hands as the flustered women lay her down on her play mat and jiggled the toys hanging over her head.

Lois was running through all the knowledge she had on children, regretfully very little, through her mind with all the force of a whirlwind.

She had changed her nappy. She had her toys. She'd farted enough gas out of her system that she wasn't in pain because of it. What else did babies need? Food! Yes, food was what everyone needed!

Lois sprinted to the kitchen cupboards and found one lonely bottle with a screw cap lid and baseball mitts on it. She ran to the cupboard and found a tin of powdered milk; she yanked its lid off as Lucy's cries escalated. Having enough presence of mind to read a label, Lois was glad she hadn't just dumped the entire contents in the bottle when it clearly said 'three parts warm water, one part powder'. Lois assumed that meant a quarter and was quick to mix the gloopy concoction up. She ran over to the baby, tripped over her own feet and crashed right in front of her.

Lucy quieted at the loud crash for a few seconds before she opened her mouth wide to scream again. Lois sat cross-legged on the floor and hauled the furious girl into her arms. She shoved the bottle into the babys open mouth and was rewarded by her valiant efforts when the apartment fell into blessed silence.

The baby made cute sucking sounds and Lois smiled tiredly.

It was official. She was never having kids of her own.

**Greetings to all! Hope you enjoyed this one-shot-at-this-stage-cuz-i-have-more-plot-bunnie s fic. Little ideas been playing about in my head for a while…..**

**Anyways please leave a review before you hit that back button ;)**


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